The American Nuclear Society express our opposition to the Coburn-Heitkamp substitute to S. 1347, Conference Accountability Act of 2013, which would require costly reporting requirements for federal employee conference expenses.

As stated in addition to other many prominent scientific and engineering organizations, we are concerned that overly bureaucratic restrictions on the ability of federal and contractor scientists and engineers to participate in scientific technical conferences will diminish scientific collaboration and innovation.

In the nuclear technology area, the current Office of Management and Budget restrictions have already begun to chill the scientific exchange so important to sustaining strong and adaptive programs and policies in reactor safety, nonproliferation, safeguards and security, stockpile stewardship, and waste disposal.

Established in 1954, ANS is a professional organization of engineers and scientists devoted to the peaceful applications of nuclear science and technology. Its more than 11,000 members come from diverse technical backgrounds covering the full range of engineering disciplines as well as the physical and biological sciences within the nuclear field. They are advancing the application of nuclear technologies to improve the lives of the world community through national and international enterprise within government, academia, research laboratories and private industry.